"The overall contradiction to terror or heavy fear is, of course, safety. What is safety for the particular client dealing with a particular terror varies widely."
~Harvey Jackins, The Longer View, p. 49-50
(www.rc.org/thoughts) #283
Public or non-public ridicule is a form of terror. It is widely used to manipulate people's consuming behavior and to relevantly justify the reinforcement of Western society's social/cultural norms and traditions for consuming mood/mind altering beverages.
Commercial and social marketing masterfully use ridicule to glamorize and reinforce the consumption of mood/mind altering beverages by inferring (i.e., subtly point out) anyone outside of the "norm or tradition" as nothing but a "party pooper" - "a wet blanket" - or - "an ol'stick in the mud."
So far this subtle commercial/social marketing strategy has been successful because nobody wants to be known as or appear to be a party pooper. If you agree with or share in this opinion, chances are your point of view was shaped and reinforced by such marketing.
Enter the early 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries as various groups of indigenous people all over the world willingly or forcefully become assimilated to the social/cultural norms and traditions of Western society. Each different indigenous group of people collectively experienced the challenges of becoming confused and then crippled when their members tried to master the Western social/cultural norms and traditions associated with the glamorization and reinforcement of consuming the many new and awful tasting mood/mind altering beverages. At first it was just jubilant curiousity. Later on, nobody rightfully knows when, it took on a vague unspoken role as a sort of social rite of passage into adulthood. Regardless, until now no one has taken a straight hard look at or viewed mood/mind altering beverages in the strictest context as being nothing more than a social/cultural norm or tradition. Yet, there it is holding center stage at every holiday, at every black tie dinner ceremony, at every celebration, at every rite of passage, at every event that calls for coping, grieving, or dealing with loss, etc.
Hmmm, go figure! Some people have the gull to deny that consuming mind/mood altering beverages as even havign anything to do with 'Western social/cultural norms or traditions" at all. R-i-g-h-t! Okay, so maybe some indigenous groups practiced some form of mind/mood altering consumption. However, even if they did, they certainly did not do so at the great rate, volume, and frequency that Western society lauds to practice, encourage, and integrate it into their everyday life of social/cultural norms and traditions; giving them a manopoly to own it as "their" social/cultural norm and tradition.
That all being said, the answer to the million dollar grant question to the problem of alcohol and drug abuse among indigenous people ought to be simple. Yet, finding safety, let alone creating safety, to challenge our own thinking around something that is so terrifying, paralyzes us from doing too much because it might (God forbid) offend the non-indigenous allies we have - whose social/cultural norms and traditions to consume mood/mind altering beverages is the blight of our people. How can we confront ourselves with the prospect that we, indigenous people, have been killing themselves trying to master the ideal of achieving a level of successful assimilation and social status, social class even, to consume mood/mind altering beverages and showcase an acceptable level of achieved assimilation that glamourizes and reinforces the social/cultural norm and tradition of Western society? HOW?
Borrowing a cliche from a 12-step personal development program, perhaps the letters in the question, "How?" hold the answer. "H" for Honesty, "O" for Open-mindedness, and "W" for Willingness. We can start by being HONEST with ourselves, and OPEN-MINDED about which social/cultural norms and traditions really matter, and whether-or-not we (individually or collectively) have the WILLINGNESS to do everything it takes to save our indigenous family of origin's primary social/cultural norms and traditions. As of late it has has been unsafe to talk about these things, even with mounting evidence and rationality, it is still unsafe because of the risk of alienating the very people you are trying to reach.
How do you create safety? One way is to use culturally appropriate methodologies, e.g., like the Inupiaq (Eskimo) blanket toss. The objective of the blanket toss is to unify a group of people with a common goal to use their collective effort to pull on a blanket. Unifited in this common goal, this group of pullers cooperate to create an environment of safety, support, and trust that will allow a willing person to be tossed into the air. This person being tossed is actually a primary and celebrated focus of attention and they have no control over how high they go. Yet, the meaure of how high they go is a measure of how well our collective group of people cooperate together on their common goal to pull together and create an environment of safety, support, and trust.
If we were to look or use this methodolothy to unify a group of substance abuse/prevention agencies on the common goal of preventing alcohol abuse (i.e., preventing the bastardization and glamorization of the Western social/cultural norm and traditkon of consuming mood/mind altering beverages), where is this cooperative environment of safety, support, and trust for the very people who are supposed to be "willingly tossed" into the air and celebrated in this common effort? Some would say in the treatment centers or outpatient programs, or in jail waiting to go into a treatment center or outpatient program. This analogy is for the most part truly depicts the nature of things because most of the components are in place (i.e. unified group of pullers, people being tossed) but something is still missing and very wrong. What is missing obvious. The person's being tossed are not being led to feel safe, supported, or trusted because the new life they are being introduced to by the "pullers" is not a primary and celebrated focus of attention. Remember people being tossed are released back into society where the general and prevailing attitude glamorizes (celebrates) the reinforcement of the Western social/cultural norms and traditions of consuming mood/mind altering beverages.
Contradicting the"terror and heavy fear" of this dilemma has been key. This dilemma was brilliantly handled by the AFN Sobriety Movement Council in the mid-1990's and they proposed wonderful contradiction, which was to recognize, appreciate (celebrate), reinforce people who lived, believed-in, and supported a life of sobriety; Alaska legislature supported the AFN Sobriety Movement efforts and went so far as to amend AS47.37.010: "Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the state to recognize, appreciate, and reinforce the example set by its citizens who lead, believe in, and support a life of sobriety."
Today is a good day to be indigenous and a LE3T (living example to the truth) that life can be lived and enjoyed without having to glamorize and reinforce the Western social/cultural norms and traditions associated with consuming mood/mind altering beverages. Today is a very good day to be indigenous, free from the self-imposed bondage of trying to fit into the a non-native social structure that will only accept me if I can prove how well I have assimilated into the social classes and by glamorizing my consumption of mood/mind altering beverages. Today is a good day to be indigenous because now I am no longer wasting time on the Western social/cultural norms and traditions for consuming mood/mind altering beverages, I have MORE TIME to practice my own Inupiaq social/cultural norms and traditions - YAY - and to write about it, too!
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO BE AN INDIGENOUS LE3T! (^_^)
Public or non-public ridicule is a form of terror. It is used to manipulate people's consuming behavior and to relavantly justify the reinforcement of Western society's social/cultural norms and traditions for consuming mood/mind altering beverages.
Commercial and social marketing masterfully use ridicule to glamorize and reinforce the consumption of mood/mind altering beverages by inferring (i.e., subtly point out) anyone outside of the "norm or tradition" as nothing but a "party pooper" - "a wet blanket" - or - "an ol'stick in the mud."
So far this subtle commercial/social marketing strategy has been quite successful because nobody wants to be known or appear to be a party pooper. If you agree or share in this opinion, chances are your point of view was shaped and reinforced by this "marketing!"
Enter the early 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries as various groups of indigenous people all over teh world either willingly or forcefully assimilate into the social/cultural norms and traditions of Western society. Each different group collectively became confused and then crippled trying to master the Western social/cultural norm and tradition associated with consuming the many new and aweful tasting mood/mind altering beverages. At first it was just jubulent curiousity. Later on, nobody rightfully knows when, it took on a vague unspoken role as a sort of social rite of passage into adulthood. Regardless, until now no one has taken a straight hard look at or viewed mood/mind altering beverages in the strictest context as being nothing more than a social/cultural norm or tradition. Yet, there it is holding center stage at every holiday, at every black tie dinner ceremony, at every celebration, at every rite of passage, at every event that calls for coping, grieving, or dealing with loss, etc.
Hmmm, go figure! Some people have the gull to deny that consuming mind/mood altering beverages as even havign anything to do with 'Western social/cultural norms or traditions" at all. R-i-g-h-t! Okay, so maybe some indigenous groups practiced some form of mind/mood altering conumption. However, even if they did, they certainly did not do so at the great rate, volume, and frequency that Western society lauds to practice, encourage, and integrate it into their everyday life of social/cultural norms and traditions; giving them a manopoly to own it as "their" social/cultural norm and tradition.
That all being said, the answer to the million dollar grant question to the problem of alcohol and drug abuse among indigenous people ought to be simple. Yet, finding safety, let alone creating safety, to challenge our own thinking around something that is so terrifying, paralyzes us from doing too much because it might (God forbid) offend the non-indigenous allies we have - whose social/cultural norms and traditions to consume mood/mind altering beverages is the blight of our people. How can we confront ourselves with the prospect that we, indigenous people, have been killing themselves trying to master the ideal of acheiving a level of successful assimilation and social status, social class even, to consume mood/mind altering beverages and showcase an acceptable level of achieved assimilation that glamourizes and reinforces the social/cultural norm and tradition of Western society? HOW?
Borrowing a cliche from a 12-step personal development program, perhaps the letters in the question, "How?" hold the answer. "H" for Honesty, "O" for Open-mindedness, and "W" for Willingness. We can start by being HONEST with ourselves, and OPEN-MINDED about which social/cultural norms and traditions really matter, and whether-or-not we (individually or collectively) have the WILLINGNESS to do everything it takes to save our indigenous family of origin's primary social/cultural norms and traditions. As of late it has has been unsafe to talk about these things, even with mounting evidence and rationality, it is still unsafe because of the risk of alienating the very people you are trying to reach.
How do you create safety? One way is to use culturally appropriate methodologies, e.g., like the Inupiaq (Eskimo) blanket toss. The objective of the blanket toss is to unify a group of people with a common goal to use their collective effort to pull on a blanket. Unifited in this common goal, this group of pullers cooperate to create an environment of safety, support, and trust that will allow a willing person to be tossed into the air. This person being tossed is actually a primary and celebrated focus of attention and they have no control over how high they go. Yet, the meaure of how high they go is a measure of how well our collective group of people cooperate together on their common goal to pull together and create an environment of safety, support, and trust.
If we were to look or use this methodolothy to unify a group of substance abuse/prevention agenies on the common goal of preventing alcohol abuse (i.e., preventing the bastardization and glamorization of the Western social/cultural norm and tradition of consuming mood/mind altering beverages), where is this cooperative environment of safety, support, and trust for the very people who are supposed to be "willingly tossed" into the air and celebrated in this common effort? Some would say in the treatment centers or outpatient programs, or in jail waiting to go into a treatment center or outpatient program. This analogy is for the most part truly depicts the nature of things because most of the components are in place (i.e. unified group of pullers, people being tossed) but something is still missing and very wrong. What is missing obvious. The person's being tossed are not being led to feel safe, supported, or trusted because the new life they are being introduced to by the "pullers" is not a primary and celebrated focus of attention. Remember people being tossed are released back into society where the general and prevailing attitude glamorizes (celebrates) the reinforcement of the Western social/cultural norms and traditions of consuming mood/mind altering beverages.
Contradicting the"terror and heavy fear" of this dilemma has been key. This dilemma was brilliantly handled by the AFN Sobriety Movement Council in the mid-1990's and they proposed wonderful contradiction, which was to recognize, appreciate (celebrate), reinforce people who lived, believed-in, and supported a life of sobriety; Alaska legislature supported the AFN Sobriety Movement efforts and went so far as to amend AS47.37.010: "Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the state to recognize, appreciate, and reinforce the example set by its citizens who lead, believe in, and support a life of sobriety."
Today is a good day to be indigenous and a LE3T (living example to the truth) that life can be lived and enjoyed without having to glamorize and reinforce the Western social/cultural norms and traditions associated with consuming mood/mind altering beverages. Today is a very good day to be indigenous, free from the self-imposed bondage of trying to fit into the a non-native social structure that will only accept me if I can prove how well I have assimilated into the social classes and by glamorizing my consumption of mood/mind altering beverages. Today is a good day to be indigenous because now I am no longer wasting time on the Western social/cultural norms and traditions for consuming mood/mind altering beverages, I have MORE TIME to practice my own Inupiaq social/cultural norms and traditions - YAY - and to write about it, too!
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO BE AN INDIGENOUS LE3T! (^_^)
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